Why I’m launching Social Issues in Song
Music…
I have been listening to songs about social issues ever since I can remember. I grew up in Los Angeles the 1960s, and turning on the radio, I heard a variety of songs by Joan Baez, Marvin Gaye, Peter, Paul & Mary, CSNY and Phil Ochs. At the time, I knew a lot of singers were upset about things (Young folks walking round with their heads in the sky, the cities ablaze in the summertime...), but as a child, I didn't fully understand the deeper meaning.
…and history
Fast forward to 9/11 in 2001. President Bush said, "Why do they hate us?" I thought that was a good question, so I started doing some research. I learned some very interesting things about history.
In 2003, there was a worldwide movement to try to stop the war in Iraq from happening. Somehow, I heard some songs about that effort... and I was hooked. I searched the web for sites that offered free downloads of songs. YouTube didn't exist yet, so there wasn't any one place to look. There were some pretty famous people who were writing and performing these songs: Willie Nelson, Dar Williams, R.E.M., Cris Williamson & Holly Near, Neil Young, Steve Earle, and Michael Franti & Spearhead. There were many more I'd never heard of, for example, Beanie the Dog. I don't think he's had a hit recording since.
For the past five years or so, I've been teaching about the history behind not only songs from this period but from other places and eras, for example, the Spanish Civil War. The students here in Japan have said they found the courses enlightening and useful in putting names and faces of real-life participants to the boring textbook history they learned in school.
Building a community
And that brings me to why I'm starting this newsletter. To encourage young people - English language learners in Japan in particular - to get their feet wet with history and music and the people who create both. I also hope it will encourage native English speakers who lived during these eras to share their experiences.
I invite you and other who are interested in social issues - and music - to join this community for some interesting discussions about the songs.
I subscribed thanks to a recommendation from @Mmerikani. I thank you both, Louise and Mmerikani.
In a recent post I wrote, I included a curated playlist of songs about Labor and Working Life. I tried to make it diverse and not disproportionately represented by classic folk songs or the most well-known labor song singers (Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, etc.) — though, like you, Louise, I grew up listening to a lot of that music.
Despite knowing many of the songs, creating the playlist was still so enriching for me. It raised my empathy for the US labor movement, taught me about people and events I'd heard mentioned in songs but never really looked into, and also sparked my awareness of possible music/history trends.
Foremost among these trends is that, as far as I can tell, after folk music the genre most vocal about labor and — for lack of a better word — the working class, was punk music of the 1980s and early 1990s. This may be obvious to a lot of people, and is by no means counterintuitive, but still interesting to take stock of.
To make a long story.... just a little longer... the experience got me to thinking how I'd love to write a book or start a substack (but have no intention of doing either) about social issues in song. So I'm relieved and delighted to see you doing it, @Louise. And I'm super-excited to read your work and learn more.
I’m so excited to be able to enjoy your class and music again ;) Looking forward to your next updates!